Free

Have you ever got up early, lined up and charged in with the heaving tide of Boxing Day Sale door buster crowds? Everyone loves a bargain. Everyone loves free stuff. The lure of finding a valuable treasure heavily reduced or free is a powerful draw card. Trolleys piled high, courtesy absent and a snatching frenzy seem to be the norm as adrenaline kicks into overdrive and shoppers grab for things they didn’t even know they needed. Post sale buyer’s remorse fuels a flurry of returned items as their usefulness, colour, size or actual value are questioned and realised. What do we really value? Not everything that is cheap or even free is valuable.

Do you get up early and gather in silent reverence to honour the sacrifice of others on ANZAC Day? As the sun rises on a new day, pausing to reflect reminds us that personally and collectively, a high price has been paid for our freedom. Are we free? Yes, but at great cost.

In Matthew, we read that as the sun was rising, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”

In this moment, we realise our true value. Are we free? Yes, at great cost. Christ crucified is a high price to pay! Christ resurrected releases us personally and collectively from the bonds and eternal burden of our sin. Christ comes to us in unconditional love and unbounded mercy to bathe us in grace each day. Our freedom is a gift, given freely, at great cost.

He is not here; he has risen!

He is risen indeed!

Blessings as we serve, lead and learn together.

Darren